Changing the fine chemical content in organisms by genetically modifying the shikimate pathway

Abstract

The present invention relates to a process for the production of fine chemicals, in particular vitamin E, vitamin K and/or ubiquinone by culturing organisms, in particular plants, whose shikimate pathway is genetically modified over that of the wild type, and to the transgenic organisms themselves.

1. A method for the preparation of vitamin E comprising introducing into a plant a polynucleotide sequence encoding a chorismate mutase-prephenate dehydrogenase, expressing the polynucleotide, and isolating vitamin B from the plant, wherein the polynucleotide sequence comprises a nucleic acid sequence which encodes a protein comprising the amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO. 2 or an amino acid sequence having at least 90% sequence identity with the sequence of SEQ ID NO. 2 wherein the protein has the enzymatic activity of a chorismate mutase-prephenate dehydrogenase. 
     
     
       2. The method as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the nucleic acid sequence is of bacterial origin. 
     
     
       3. The method as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the nucleic acid sequence comprises the sequence shown in SEQ ID NO. 1.